


Pockets Full of Posies

by morebeesthanyoucouldimagine



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Fluff, Knight!Levi, M/M, Middle Ages, The Black Death, clergymen!armin, plague doctor!Grisha, the homophobia of the time period
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-20 19:32:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3662307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morebeesthanyoucouldimagine/pseuds/morebeesthanyoucouldimagine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world filled with disease and hatred, Eren will discover who he truly is and what he truly believes. With the plague running rampant in the streets, and his heart beating fast whenever he thinks of a certain knight, will his life ever be the same?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ring Around

Eren considered himself to be a high-class peasant. He was the son of the only doctor in the area. Since he was being trained to follow in his path, he had the ability to read and a higher education than some of the lower nobles. However, even though he was training to become a doctor, he still helped his mother with the chores.

Many of his father's patients told him that doing house work was a woman's job, and he should be ashamed. Eren was easily riled, and often got into arguments with them that turned into full out brawls. Both his mother and father chastised him for being so reckless and aggressive. But he still continued to work around the house and his father's garden used for growing medical herbs.

Eren's "womanly actions" were well known in the village. Many gave their unwanted opinions that Eren shouldn't be allowed to become a doctor, and they would never want his treatment. His mother sometimes told him that she was worried about him becoming a doctor, because he would be exposed to horrible diseases like the Black Death. But it was because of that exact disease that he wanted to become a doctor.

The Black Death had claimed countless lives across all the known lands. Even though his village was untouched by the plague, Eren wanted to do everything in his power to protect people from it. The plague caused people to be afraid to travel anywhere, keeping them isolated in their towns and kingdoms, like livestock.

When Eren was a young boy, his friend Armin showed him a leather-bound book depicting the many different lands that lay beyond the village's horizon. The two of them were captured in awe at the sight of a grand body of water, called "the ocean". Ever since, their hearts were set on venturing to one. But with the Black Death that had put walls up between towns and kingdoms, their dream didn't look like a reality. Eren couldn’t stand the thought of letting his friend down, it was another reason why he wanted to figure out the curse that lied behind the plague.

Armin was also doing what he could to put the odds in his favor. When he learned that the Church of God sent out clergymen in hopes of converting “the savages in the Holy Land”, he joined them. He didn’t care about spreading “the Good News”, but he wanted to see the far off lands that he otherwise would never be able to see.

* * *

Eren was walking on the dirt road that lead to his family’s house. He was returning from the market with the apples his mother had asked him to go and get. He walked with the wicker fruit basket tucked under his right arm. He adjusted its red cloth covering, while warily checking his surroundings. After the false rumor of him being a homosexual got out, people began to cry out for his blood to be spilled and his life stripped from him. Many had tried, but in the end, it only resulted in Eren’s father getting extra medical practice.Not that he needed it.

He was pulled from his memories as he noticed the knight that was traveling along the same path. The sun glistened off of the knight’s armor, making him shine like a star in the daytime, a stark contrast to the midnight horse that he was riding. Though it made Eren’s eyes burn, he couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

His tabard bore the crest of Lord Smith. Two overlapping wings of ivory and sapphire on a field of green. Obviously that meant that this knight served under Lord Erwin Smith. Perhaps he was returning from some kind of grand quest that took him to far off lands and showed him wonders that Eren couldn’t even dream of. His pig faced bascinet was adorned with two feathers at its peak. The white feather was large and grand, it was constantly bouncing, as it was caught easily in the wind. The short blue feather in front of it was stiff in comparison.

A humble iron sword was kept at his side in a leather hilt. Though his armor was beautiful and magnificent, it was clear that it had its battle scars and dents. Most of them were new, as opposed to those that were so old they were sentimental. Clearly this man had been through hell and back recently. Eren quickly walked off of the path into the grass doused with morning dew, in order to get out of the knight’s way. He passed Eren by without a glance.

“Sir?” He called after the man.

“Sir, wait!” Instead of waiting for him to stop, Eren ran forward.

The sodden grass felt like a blanket underneath his feet as he approached the man. His loose olive green tunic caught the wind as he caught the stranger’s attention. The mounted man turned his head in answer to Eren’s call. There was a brief moment of pause before the knight gently coerced his obsidian horse to turn around and stop in front of the younger man. Eren closed in the few meters that separated them, getting a better view of the older man.

Even though the visor of his bascinet was raised, it was still difficult to clearly see his entire face. However, his eyes were visible and demanded Eren’s attention. Even though his face had a delicate structure, the look in his eyes could make a lesser man run in fear. Eren’s heart started to race as he looked into the man’s eyes. They were like the precious silver that bound priceless jewels to a crown.

“My name” he took in another breath before continuing in a weak voice “Is Eren.”

“I am Levi.” He replied in a monotone fashion.

Wanting to speak more, but his tongue betraying him, Eren offered him an apple.

Levi took it and examined the fruit. It was a beautiful apple, not blemish or impurity to be seen. Eren had picked that one especially in hopes that its red sheen would convince the knight to… to what? Eren didn’t understand what he was thinking, but he was both nervous and glad that he made the offering.

Levi nodded in gratitude and used his hand that wasn’t holding the horse’s bridle to unlatch his leather satchel. After securing the fruit in the bag, he gave Eren his attention once more. “Was there any particular reason for this?”

“I just wanted to give you an apple.” Eren didn’t even know if there was a real reason behind it.

“There is no other reason?” Levi prodded further. Eren just shook his head. “Where do you live?” Eren pointed in the direction from where Levi had just come from. “Ah, so you’re the son of the doctor.” Without bothering to wait for Eren’s reply, he lowered his visor and guided his horse down the path. Leaving Eren just standing there.

That man was beautiful. _“How I wish to gaze upon that face in the morning, day, and night.”_ Eren thought. Wait, were did a thought like that come from? Eren didn’t have much time to think about his thoughts when he heard a voice calling him.

Another man was running down the dirt road. His white robe billowed out behind him. The wet earth clinging to the cotton cloth like a flea on vermin. The young clergy member's smile grew wider and brighter the closer he was to his companion since birth.

"Armin" Eren greeted his friend. "How was it today?"

“It wasn’t as dull as usual!” Armin answered, hugging Eren in a tight grip.

“Really? They didn’t bore you to death again by making you recite the commandments again?”

“No, they told us about the crusades. This time they told us about the journey to the Holy Land and the oceans they had to cross! There’s a whole other world out there, Eren! I wanted to join the Clergy to learn about this, and maybe they might send me out there as a missionary!” Armin’s face was brighter than a thousand suns. “Well, I also wanted to learn how to read and write. The Church is the only place where a peasant can learn stuff like that.”

“I can read, and I didn’t go to the Church.” Eren said in a smug fashion.

“That’s because your dad taught you.” Armin rolled his eyes.

“I could have taught you, you didn’t have to leave to go and live in the church.”

“Eren, I know you miss me, but there is a final reason as to why I chose this.”

“What is it?”

“What is what?” Armin looked around nervously, he was clearly not willing to disclose his secret. Not even to his best, and only, friend.

“The reason you joined them?” Eren persisted.

“I can’t tell you that.” Armin shook his head violently.

“Come on, Armin.”

“Eren, I love you as a brother, but I can’t.” He sucked in a sharp gasp, releasing it in a shuddered breath, and swallowed the words that were threatening to pour from his mouth. Eren felt guilty for pushing his friend like that. He decided to change the topic.

“Seeing the outside world must be amazing, if it was a different time.” Armin didn’t have to think to know what Eren meant. Everyone knew. With plagues and diseases running rampant through villages and towns, no one was safe.


	2. The Rosie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the strange boy out of his head. It wasn’t like the boy was the first to offer him a gif of some kind, but for some reason it seemed different. Why was Eren affecting him like this? Levi couldn’t help but feel nervous as he made his way to Eren’s house. It had only been a few hours since he had seen his beautiful face, but Levi didn’t want to wait to see him again. No woman had ever captured his heart like this.

The crisp evening air bit at his face, as he walked down the dirt path that lead to the Jaeger’s house. The sun was beginning to set behind the row of trees that marked the outskirts of the forest. The setting sun painted the sky with warm hues, tainting the once cool blue sky orange.  
As his destination came into sight, the man became nervous. He tried to collect his breath as he stood before the home. For a home of peasants, it was very luxurious and spacious. The wood beams crisscrossed to provide support and appeal, while its thatched roof protected it from harsh weather.

The man straightened himself up before knocking on the wooden door. A few moments passed before the door opened, revealing a young woman. For her age, she was fairly tall. Her dark russet locks were held together in a side pony-tail. Her apron showed signs of wear and tear, clearly the cloth was old and worn. Her tanned skin showed that she worked outside often. Her golden eyes shone with curiosity and concern. 

“Can I help you, sir?” Her voice was calm and yet held a maternal sternness to it.

“Is Eren Jaeger here?” The man replied, sound almost as if he was bored. The woman’s eyes began to squint in suspicion.

“Yes, do you want me to call him down for you?” She asked, looking into the shorter man’s eyes, trying to figure out what he wanted with her son.

“If you would.” The man nodded politely. She opened the door further but did not invite the shorter man into the house. All he could see is the small foyer and the stairs that lead to the upper floor. She called out Eren’s name and it wasn’t long before the brunet’s head popped out. 

“Levi.” Eren breathed.

“We were about to sit down for supper, would you join us, sir?” Eren’s mother asked cautiously. Something was clearly bothering her, and she obviously did not trust Levi. He was quite honestly a stranger after all, but it was traditional to invite any guests to a meal.

“No, thank you.” Levi declined.

She nodded respectively, and left to go do her womanly chores, leaving the door wide open. Levi took this as an opportunity to invite himself in.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the strange boy out of his head. It wasn’t like the boy was the first to offer him a gif of some kind, but for some reason it seemed different. Why was Eren affecting him like this? Levi couldn’t help but feel nervous as he made his way to Eren’s house. It had only been a few hours since he had seen his beautiful face, but Levi didn’t want to wait to see him again. No woman had ever captured his heart like this.

Levi realized that he was staring at Eren. Damn, he must have looked like a creep. ‘I was probably in the wrong here. He clearly doesn’t want me here. He looks like he needs to take a shit.’ Levi thought to himself.

“I’ve made a mistake coming here. I won’t intrude any longer.” Levi turned towards the wooden door, when heard what sounded like a horse tripping down a flight of stairs and felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Please don’t leave.” Eren begged. “I’m really glad you’re here. Please stay.” Levi merely grunted in acknowledgement. 

“I came to ask you to come with me.” Levi declared.

“Where?” Eren asked in a wary manner. A few people had tried to lure Eren out of his house, his refuge, and attack him. He wanted to trust Levi though.

“Just for a ride.”

“I’d love to.” Eren smiled. “Wait here.” He made his way to the kitchen. The kitchen was fairly cramped, but it was still easy to use. Eren’s mother, Carla, spent a good portion of her time in here.

“Mom, Levi has invited me to go for a ride.” 

“Be careful, Eren.” Fear was present on her face.

“He’s a knight, they’re supposed to follow the code of chivalry. You know, ‘protect the innocent and weak.’ I should be safe with him.” Eren tried to reassure her.

“You should still be careful, Eren.”

“I will be.” Eren said as he left the kitchen.

“When are you ever?” She shook her head wistfully.

‘Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.’ Eren thought as he quickly walked back to where Levi was waiting. ‘I don’t even know how to ride a horse, what the hell am I supposed to do? Levi’s probably laugh when I fall off the horse.’ Levi’s face lit up as Eren came into view. The two walked out of the house. There was only one horse waiting for them.

“Does he think that I’m supposed to walk beside him the entire way?” Eren thought he had thought to himself.

“No, I thought you would ride on the horse with me.” Apparently Levi had heard him.

“I don’t know how to ride a horse.” Eren confessed.

“If you just hold on to me, you should be fine.” Levi grunted, he struggled a bit to mount his horse.

“What if I fall off?” Eren worried.

“How about you don’t.” Levi muttered, he sounded like he was getting annoyed.

“But what if I-” Eren continued.

“Just hold on to me and you’ll be fine.” Levi offered his hand to the younger man.

Riding the horse was uncomfortable to say the least. It didn’t make it better that Eren was holding Levi by the shoulders. Uncomfortable and painfully awkward. Eren noticed that they were going along the path that lead away from the village and towards the village. When a sudden breeze made its appearance, Eren wrapped his arms around Levi’s chest and held himself close.

The closer they got to the forest, the more nervous Eren became. His thoughts did not give him any comfort. ‘This was a mistake, what was I thinking?’ As they entered the forest, his imagination ran rampant. ‘There might be wild man eating monsters in there.’ Looking up at the dark sky, he saw that the crescent moon had already risen. ‘It’s already past dark. I don’t know this man, for all I know he could be bringing me into the forest to kill me.’

“I can hear your damned heart, it’s beating so loud. Calm down, you’re safe with me.” Levi reassured him.

At this point, they were surrounded by trees. Their only lights were the stars above. Levi gently coerced his horse off the path. The midnight horse must have known what he was doing, because it didn’t need further guidance. 

They entered a serene clearing. Wildflowers were abundant and plentiful, creating a rainbow of colors in the dim light. A small stream ran through the clearing, its gentle babbling added to the almost romantic ambience. Levi’s steed came to a halt on its own and its owner slid off of its back with ease. Eren gladly took the hand that the knight offered him. His dismount was not even close to being as graceful as the shorter man’s. 

“It’s beautiful here.” Eren breathed. Levi either didn’t hear him or simply didn’t reply. Instead he continued walking towards the trees. He reached his rand into one of the tree’s hollow trunks, retrieving a white object.

“The ground is filthy, sit on this instead.” Levi ordered, beckoning Eren closer. He opened the folds of the white cloth and spread it on the ground, close to the creak. 

The two helped each other to their knees, and then they sat together on the tarp. They continued to talk until the moon rose and the stars began to shine. They talked about everything and anything. Eren’s hatred for the plague came up sooner, rather than later.

“Thankfully, the plague hasn’t touched Shiganshina yet.” Eren remarked.

“But it has touched Trost.” Levi stated, as if he wasn’t interested.

“What?!” The doctor’s son all but screamed.

“I was there yesterday.” Levi explained. “They had already lost five people. Twenty more were afflicted.”

“Dear God.” Eren breathed. “This world is so cruel.” Turning towards Levi, he continued in a confidant voice.

“I swear to you, Levi.” Eren grasped the other man by his shoulders. “I will save humanity from this plague.” Levi nodded.

“This world is fucked up. It’s just one giant shitstorm after the next.” Levi sighed. Eren nodded silently in agreement. “This place is the best way to forget about it.” 

“So, this is your happy place?” Eren rephrased.

“I guess you could say that.” The shorter man glared at something in the distance.

“Thank you.” Eren smiled, his eyes sparkled like the stars above them.

“For what?” Levi turned to him, scoffing.

“For sharing this with me.” Eren elbowed Levi’s arm gently.

The two sat together in silence, not an uncomfortable one, but rather a peaceful one. Before they realized it, they had started to huddle together to avoid the cold. 

“We should probably get back.” Levi observed. 

Before Eren could say that he wanted to stay for a little bit longer, Levi had already gotten to his feet. Eren gratefully took the hand that Levi offered him. Once he was standing, the two looked into each other’s eyes. Unaware that their faces were beginning to inch closer. Eren couldn’t help but take a quick glance at Levi’s lips. Their tender moment was interrupted by the growling coming from Eren’s stomach.

“I suppose you haven’t eaten yet, have you.” Levi spoke. “Come on, I’ll get you some food.”

“You don’t need to…” Eren tried to interject, but Levi had already began to walk back to the horse.

“I made you miss your meal, it’s only fair that I make up for that.” Levi continued, not bothering to wait for Eren.

“Thank you.” Eren whispered, following him.

The second horse ride was much less awkward than the first. Since it was dark, and it was more likely for them to be mugged and murdered, Eren held himself closer to Levi. 

The pub was located on the outskirts of the town. It was rather homey and welcoming. In all honesty, its customers came for the food they served rather than the drinks. The alcohol was watered down and most of the food they served was boiled and bland. The friendly barkeep and conversations made up for the lack of flavor.

Eren’s stew was little more than boiled broth. There were a few chunks of chicken and roughly three slices of carrot. His mother’s cooking was better than this. Levi’s food didn’t look to appetizing either. 

He noticed that the once friendly and happy conversations sounded much more hostile. Looking around, Eren recognized several faces. Angry faces. Faces that had attacked him in the past. Noticing the anxiety on his face, Levi turned around, a look of fury that even death herself would fear was etched on his face. The voices stopped and the faced turned back to their drinks and food. The rest of the meal was uneventful, 

Eren was too worried about his safety to talk. Levi made no motions to strike up conversation either. They left the pub without any hassle from the other patrons. It was definitely after midnight when they mounted Levi’s horse. The ride back to Eren’s home was silent until Levi spoke up.

“So what the hell was that all about?” He asked.

“You mean those guys back at the pub?” Levi only grunted in response. 

“Some assholes think that I’m gay, so they try to attack me.” Eren explained. Levi’s head turned to look Eren in the eye. No emotion could be seen on Levi’s face. Eren panicked. “I’m not gay though!” He rushed. Levi sighed.

“People are terrible.” Levi stated. “Ignore them. They all suck.”

“You don’t suck though.” Eren smiled softly. Silence enveloped them again before Eren got curious.

“Why did you bring me out here?” He asked wrapping his arms tighter around Levi.

“To repay you for the apple.” Levi answered.

“I don’t think an apple is worth as much as you have given me.” Eren argued.

“After my mission I was famished. The apple was perfect.” He explained.

“What was your mission?” Eren’s interest was piqued. 

“To give Lord Dok a message.” It almost seemed like he was leaning back into Eren’s touch.

“What was the message?” Eren continued.

“I don’t know probably Erwin telling him to go fuck himself.” Eren couldn’t stifle his laughter. He swore he saw give a small smile. Eren was sad when his house came back into view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's pretty late here, and I'm very tired. I didn't beta this. If I made any mistakes, please tell me.


	3. Pockets

Before the sun had shone its sweet rays, before the rooster had risen from its nest, Eren was seized from his sleep. Grisha woke his son up by shaking his shoulders violently. Normally, Grisha would allow his son to sleep till he woke up on his own. So, Eren knew that something was seriously wrong. Even though he knew something was up, it didn’t stop him from complaining. 

“Dad, what the heck.” Eren narrowly missed cussing at his father, only to be answered by Grisha shushing him. His father grabbed him by his arm and dragged him out of his room and down the hallway. His sleep deprivation did not aid him in navigating the house. Because his time with Levi had gone past midnight, he had only rested for about two hours before being woken up suddenly. He was exhausted physically and soon to be emotionally. 

His father continued to lead him down the stairs and into the basement of the house, where his father’s infirmary was located. This is where his father treated his patients. Why was his father bringing him down here? Was he going to finally showed him what lied beyond the locked door? Was there a patient that demanded to see him? Fear welled up in his throat, making it hard to breathe. His questions were answered when he entered the infirmary.

His mother was lying in one of the beds. She looked weak and frail. Sweat was visible on her forehead. Her breathing came out in short, labored breaths. Eren couldn’t hold in the gasp of shock and pain that emerged from his lips. His mother’s feeble form struggled to turn her head towards her son. 

“I’m sorry, Eren.” She said, her voice was barely above a whisper. Tears began to form in her amber eyes. Her entire face was contorted in pain as she raised her arm. On her arms underside, there were three rather large protrusions. The boils were as dark in color as they were in meaning. No other disease was known to cause such an ailment. Carla had the plague.

Eren just stood there. He couldn’t begin to know how to respond. He wished that this was all a nightmare. Staying up late tended to do that to him. Perhaps the food from the pub wasn’t settling in his stomach. That would make more sense than what he was seeing. He was ripped from his thoughts when his father grabbed him by his shoulders.

“You must leave, Eren. We don’t want you to get the plague.” He said in a stern and yet caring voice. Eren couldn’t handle this right now. He all but ran back to his room, where he flung himself on to his bed. His tears greeted him like old friends.

This wasn’t even close to being the first time that Eren cried his eyes out, and like many times he fell asleep from the exhaustion he had previously and from the exhaustion from the tears that flowed like rivers from his emerald eyes.

This time, when his father woke him, it was gentler than the earlier attempt. The doctor lovingly stroked his son’s hair. 

“You have a visitor.” Grisha murmured to the brunet. Eren couldn’t find the strength in himself to audibly reply, instead he nodded his head silently. His father left so that Eren could get up and dressed. Eren thought it was fitting to wear his mourning clothes. His mother was as good as dead.

His foolish hopes to save humanity from the plague were just that, foolish, foolish and childish. He never accomplished anything to stop the Black Death, let alone try to do anything. What a worthless child he was. 

Walking down the stairs to foyer he saw the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his life.

“Eren.” Levi greeted. His usually blank face showed signs of concern. “What’s the occasion of mourning?”

Eren didn’t answer his question. Instead, he beckoned Levi to follow him upstairs. He invited Levi into his bedroom and the two sat down on his bed. They sat there silently for a while, until Eren’s tears enveloped him again. Levi’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, Eren felt his thumb rubbing calming circles through his clothes.

“My mother has the plague.” Eren choked out. He couldn’t hold back his emotions any more. He threw himself at Levi. He needed a hug. Levi welcomed Eren’s embrace and returned it. It wasn’t long before he felt Eren’s tears soak through his shirt.

“Father wants me to leave, where would I go?” Eren sobbed. “My life is in danger if I stay or if I leave, what should I do?”

“You could come with me.” Levi offered, starting to run his fingers through Eren’s soft hair.

The two had been so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t notice that Grisha had entered the room. His footsteps startled the two out of their embrace. Before Eren could respond, Grisha pulled Levi out of the room.

“I need to have a word with you.” The older man said. Levi nodded and followed him out of the bedroom. As they were walking down the stairs, Grisha spoke. “I’ve talked to Carla about you.” Leading Levi into the drawing room before continuing. “We’ve seen the way you look at Eren, and honestly I don’t mind.”

“What the hell do you mean?” It was more of a statement than a question. Grisha offered Levi a chair to sit down, which he accepted.

“Love is-”Grisha paused a moment to think through his words. “Love doesn’t care about who you are, or who other people are. Love is difficult. It goes against many things that society tells us.”

“Society is usually wrong anyways.” Levi said, almost bitterly.

“Exactly. Many things in society developed to keep people in line. To keep them from questioning those in power.” Grisha had Levi’s attention, it was clear that the knight agreed with the doctor.

“I may be honor bound to serve my Lord, but I know that they all lie and cheat.” Levi said in a snide tone.

“Especially the church.” Grisha spoke in a calm voice. Levi hummed in response. Most would have reacted violently to his words, but Levi knew the greed of the “holy men”.

“There is something that the church is horribly wrong about and I need to make sure that you know about.” Grisha rested his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “Whether or not there is a god is debatable, but if what they say about Christ loving all of his creations is true, than he would love even his homosexual ones.” Levi looked absolutely confused.

“Let me elaborate a little more.” Grisha said. “Homosexuality exists in almost every species known to man, homophobia exists in only one. Do you understand.” When he was only met with Levi’s blank face, he decided to continue. “Carla and I see the way you look at Eren, more importantly, we see the way that he looks at you. We are completely okay with this as long as you care for him and protect him.”

Levi didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded his head.

“Will you take care of my son?” Grisha asked the man sitting in front of him.

“I will.” Levi promised. His response was only two words, but he meant both of them with every fiber of his being.

“Let’s go back to him.” Grisha said. When they got back to Eren’s small, humble bedroom, they found that Eren wasn’t there. Grisha said that Eren might be in the infirmary, visiting his mother. 

When they checked there, they saw Eren kneeling next to Carla’s bed. His tears ran down his face, glistening almost in the early morning light that was flowing through a small window. His mother’s hand came up to brush his hair out of his face and to dry his eyes.

“I love you, Eren.” She whispered. Turning to Levi, her face was stern. “Take care of my son.” She ordered the short man. Turning back to her son, her face softened. “Go.” Eren shook his head. “Please, Eren.”

“Son, it’s time.” Grisha came and embraced his son. “Go collect your things.”

Being a peasant, Eren didn’t have many material objects, so it didn’t take him that long. Levi waited for him in the foyer. The two left the house in silence. Levi’s dark horse was waiting outside for them. Like they did only a few hours ago, they mounted his horse. Eren sat behind Levi. How could a few hours change Eren’s life so much?

“Are you ready to go, or do you want more time?” Levi asked, he knew that this was very hard on Eren. He wanted to comfort Eren as much as his socially-awkward self could.

“I need a moment.” Eren all but whimpered. He wrapped his arms tighter around Levi. He pressed his cheek to the knight’s muscular back. He took a deep breath, trying to accept the situation he was in. “I’m ready.”

As the horse began to make its way down the dirt path, Eren saw something emerge from his house. It was dressed in all black, from top to bottom. A long wood pole was grasped in its leather gloves. Its most disturbing feature was its mask. Circular lenses took the space of the eyes and a long, curved beak took the place of the nose and mouth. It was his father. It was his father in a plague doctor’s garb. 

If Eren was afraid before, he was absolutely petrified. The plague had officially reached Shiganshina. The village was going to fall to its knees.

As they continued towards Lord Erwin’s manor, Eren’s grip on Levi tightened to an uncomfortable level. The knight found it difficult to breathe, but he decided to give Eren this. As they made their way closer to the center of the town, Levi became worried.

“Eren, loosen your grip on me.” Levi ordered.

“Why?” Eren felt devastated. Had he offended the black haired man?

“People might think the wrong things if they see us like this.” Levi explained.

“What the hell, Levi!” Eren nearly screamed. “I told you I’m not gay!”

“I don’t care if you are or not! I’m just trying to look out for you.” Levi sighed.

The ride was silent as they continued through the center of Shiganshina. They rode past all the shops, all the houses, past the pub and past the church. Some turned their heads to the knight and doctor’s son. Some of their faces clearly showed disgust. One woman covered her children’s eyes so that they couldn’t see the “sinful” sight in front of them.

It hurt Eren, and even though he’s experienced this for years now, he still isn’t used to being looked at as if he was a monster. He wondered if that’s how Levi thought of him. Was he only helping him out of pity? Did he only care about him because of his mother? Eren felt a familiar stinging prick his eyes as tears welled up. That can’t be it, can it?

Levi’s head turned as soon as he heard Eren starting to sniffle. “We’re almost out of the worst of it.” Levi tried to comfort him.

As soon as the relatively urban part of Shiganshina was out of view, Eren latched himself back on to Levi. He could have sworn that he heard Levi sigh contently. It made Eren feel much better.

About half an hour later, Lord Smith’s manor came into view. For a Lord’s manor, it was rather humble. Its land was sizable, but plain and barren. The buildings were made of common cobblestone, the roofs were of thatched straw. Despite their obviously grand and luxurious size, they would have blended in next to any of the peasant’s. 

As the two passed through the gate, Eren tried to accept that this was his new home. Eren felt heartbroken trying to accept the fact that he would never return to his true home. He would never see his mother again, he may never see his father again either. Almost all that he had known for his entire life was gone. Only his small bag of remembrances would store his memories of his relatively happy childhood. He was glad that he was living with Levi at his side now, he didn’t think he could survive this suffering any other way.


	4. Full of Posies

The next few days of Eren’s life were relatively peaceful and yet anxiety ridden. After what had happened to him the last few days, depression chased down Eren like a rabid wolf, hunting him relentlessly. It took all his might to get up in the morning to face this cruel world, to face what had become his life. A constant feeling of dread and doom settled over him. Despite all of this, Eren felt as if part of him was whole. He couldn’t explain it. He was still mourning the loss of his mother, but something in him felt fulfilled. 

He was living with Levi in his house on Lord Erwin’s manor. The Lord provided many things for his vassals, such as land, protection, and of course some food. The food was enough to provide a basic staple of nutrition. And after Levi had tried to prepare a few meals for the two of them, Eren saw that his cooking skills were subpar at the least. He immediately offered to take his place, and Levi didn’t object. Eren learned to cook from his mother and he enjoyed it on most occasions. 

One night as he was making a beef and vegetable stew, when he remembered the first time his mother taught him how to make it. At the thought of his mother, tears began to prick his eyes. By this time, his mother was probably dead. Before he could stop it, he started to sob loudly. His vision became clouded and his nose ran. He felt incredibly vulnerable. He didn’t notice the footsteps behind him, but he did feel the arms that wrapped around his chest.

His heart began to beat at a thundering pace, partly because of his crying, but also because of the knight’s physical comfort. Levi didn’t say anything, and he didn’t need to. Just his presence soothed Eren. He couldn’t solve all of Eren’s problems, but he would be lying if he said that he didn’t help him a lot.

Even though they had only known each other for a few days, Eren believed that he couldn’t bear to lose Levi like he lost everything else. He felt a strong connection to the shorter man. He felt it every time he saw him, every time they touched, every time he heard his voice, and every time he was comforted by him. Past his cold and gruff exterior, there was a man with a big heart. It made Eren wonder why he hid it away, but he secretly enjoyed the fact that he was one of the only people to see this side of him.

With his arms still wrapped around Eren’s frame, Levi rested his head on Eren’s shoulder. Oh what a beautiful man he was. His silky black hair perfectly curtained his face. His eyes were like when the sun was just barely cutting through the clouds after it rained. His facial structure was chiseled and yet delicate and soft. His button nose was definitely one of Eren’s favorite parts.

“Oh shit, I am gay.” Eren realized in his mind. Everything his attackers had said about him was true. He couldn’t deal with this. He needed some comfort, the only one who was with him was Levi. As much as he wanted to go to Levi for help with this, he knew he would probably end up causing Levi to push him away. He decided that it would be better to turn to someone he has known for years.

“Levi, I want to visit my friend Armin. He’s one of the clergy.” Eren decided. Levi’s arms retreated back to his sides.

“I could take you.” Levi offered. Eren hadn’t gone out of the house in the last three days, he wanted to encourage Eren to get fresh air and to feel the heat of the sun. He understood what Eren was going through and how he felt helpless and weak. He had gone through that as well, but he wished that someone had tried to help him out of his depression when he was younger. So, he decided that he would help Eren through his. 

But Eren’s sudden revelation of his feelings for Levi made him turn down the shorter man’s offer with a half assed reply. He nearly bolted out of the house, running in the direction of Shiganshina’s church. He felt bad for just leaving Levi there like that, but he thought that if he started to pull away from Levi, then these feelings may fade away. Surely Levi would resent him for these feelings.

Truth be told, Levi was a little hurt that Eren ran from him like that, but he accepted it. He had told himself that Eren would choose his own path. And if on that path he was walking next to Levi, then he would be the happiest knight in the world. But if he chose another path, Levi would still continue to support him. 

Eren’s breath started to run short by the time he saw the church’s steeple come into view. Ever since Armin joined the clergy, he lived in the housing next to it along with other clergy, priests, and nuns. During the day they spent their hours in either the chapel, where they prayed, or in the study that took up the upper floor of the church where they made copies of the bible and studied it in depth.

Eren assumed that his friend was going to be in the study, but he was surprised to see him in the chapel, kneeling in front of the altar. He walked up to his friend

“Hey, Armin.” He greeted Armin. He could already feel his mood get better.

“Eren, it’s so good to see you!” The clergymen’s smile stretched across his whole face.

“I came to get some advice. I thought I should come to you, considering you keep your own secrets, I thought you would keep mine.” Eren teased him a little. He still didn’t know Armin’s secret, and he was still curious.

“Knock it off, Eren.” Armin rolled his eyes, clearly seeing Eren’s attempt to get him to tell him his secret.

“Alright, fine, be like that.” Eren finally gave up trying to get his friend to confess his dark secret. Instead, he decided to change the topic. “So do you know about one of Lord Smith’s knights named Levi?”

“I think I heard Mother Hanji mention him a few times.” Armin said. 

“I met him and we hung out a few times.” Eren blushed a little remembering when Levi took him into the forest. Looking back at it, he realized that he had almost kissed Levi. His little blush made his face so red, it could have rivaled an apple. “I think I am in love with him. What do I do?” He had expected his friend to sympathize with him, which is what friends are supposed to do, right? But Armin’s face was more fearful than supportive. 

If Eren had remembered that he was in a church, a church full of homophobic priests, then he probably would have kept his confession to himself. Looking around, he suddenly felt what seemed to be a million eyes staring at him. Though it seemed that only one priest had actually heard him, fear took its root in Eren’s mind.

“Eren, I think you should leave.” Armin softly whispered. Eren felt more of his world breaking. He felt nauseous and his head throbbed. Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. “Oh, Eren.” His childhood friend tried to reach out to wipe away his friend’s tears, but Eren jerked away from his touch. Armin could only stand and watch as Eren bolted out of the church.

“What was that about?” A woman asked, approaching the younger clergymen. 

“That was Eren, Mother Hanji.” Armin answered, not turning to face her, preferring to continue staring where Eren just was.

“Ah, so that’s your little friend you keep talking about.” The nun rested her hand on the blonds shoulder. “What was all the commotion about?”

“Can we go somewhere else to talk?” The boy looked up into Hanji’s amber eyes. She understood that whatever he was going to tell her was private and just between the two of them.

The two were actually pretty close. They were good friends and often talked to each other. Armin often turned to her in confidence. She was the only one who knew that Armin joined them for the sake of knowledge, she in turn told him that she did the same.

The older woman led Armin out of the church and into the garden that was behind the main building. It wasn’t that grand, but it gave people a place to be in the silence. This is where Armin and Hanji talked to each other when they didn’t want anyone to listen in.

“Eren told me that he has fallen in love with a knight named Levi.” Armin whispered.

“That’s a miracle.” Hanji cackled in a way that would terrify small children. 

“How’s that a miracle?” Armin asked, his brows furrowed.

“I’ve known Levi for a while. He isn’t exactly the friendliest shorty around.” She explained. “To think he actually managed to charm someone!” A chuckle escaped her lips. Armin visibly grew worried.

“Do you-” He paused to think out his words. “Do you think Eren would be safe with him?” 

“Yes, he maybe a grump but he’s a total softie underneath.” The brunette assured him. “How do you feel about it?”

“What do you mean?” The boy didn’t understand what Hanji was referring to.

“Well, I mean, you were so scared to admit your homosexuality.” Hanji elaborated. She had remembered the first time he had opened up to her about his sexuality. He was afraid and believed that he was a sinner. Hanji had comforted him, and told him there was nothing wrong with him. His had tears lead him to his sleep while he rested in Hanji’s embrace. Ever since that night, the two often talked to each other about anything and everything.

“Yeah, but Eren’s brave. He’s so brave he does really stupid things.” Armin whined. He wished he had half of his friend’s courage, but not enough that would get him killed. “He admitted he was a homosexual in a church! I asked him to leave for his safety, you know? He looked devastated though!”

“He definitely took it in the wrong way.” Hanji pointed out. “I think he thought that you were also homophobic.” 

“I need to apologize to him.” Armin admitted. As he turned to leave and go after his friend, a hand grabbed him by his shoulder.

“It’s starting to get dark and dangerous to go out right now especially this week.” Hanji stopped him. It was already well into the night at this point. Muggers and murderers were in their habitat, lining the streets, and ready to strike. Armin knew this, anyone with common sense did, but what he didn’t understand was what made this week worse than any other.

“What do you mean?” He inquired. He was truly curious. Had an especially ruthless caravan of thieves come to the village? With the chaos in the land, pickpockets and other petty thieves had more success.

“The plague has entered Shiganshina.” The nun explained in an eerily calm manner.

“When?!” was Armin’s response in a less than calm manner.

“A few days ago the wife of the doctor caught the plague.” Hanji looked at her feet. Even though she never met the soon to be deceased woman, she felt bad for her and others who were suffering like she was.

“The wife of the doctor?” Armin breathed. 

“Yeah, ironic isn’t it?” Hanji would have laughed if the topic wasn’t as serious as it was deadly.

“No, you don’t understand. That’s Eren’s mother!” Tears formed on the edge of his eyes.

“Eren’s mother had the plague?! Chances are, he had it.” Hanji realized.

“He seemed fine.” The blond denied.

“The symptoms don’t show up immediately. It starts out as a fever.” Hanji pointed out.

“No, please, god no.” Armin whimpered.

“Oh god, he may have given it to us.” Hanji breathed.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to make this as historically accurate as possible. So here is a brief explanation for why I did what I did. MANY ASPECTS AND BELIEFS OF THE CHARACTERS DO NOT REFLECT MY OWN. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK.
> 
> Back in the 14th century, the church still had its grasp on learning and education throughout Europe. Almost anything remotely scientific was based off of the Church’s dogmas. Originally, Nuns were educated and given rights that would later be taken away from them by the Church. 
> 
> Religion ruled the people more than kings or royalty. In fact, the Pope declared Papal Supremacy, which meant that he had the power to choose and coronate kings. Excommunication, essentially banning someone from church, was considered to be one of the worsts punishments possible because they believed that meant that you were automatically going to hell. The phrase “sure as hell” comes from this time, because they actually believed that hell was for sure.
> 
> Literacy was rare. Even royalty had a tendency to be illiterate. I decided to give Grisha the ability to read, because I felt that even though “doctors” back then couldn’t, it would only make sense that he could. In both the Anime and Manga, Grisha was a very intelligent man. He knew things that humanity was still in the dark about. I felt that I could parallel this by giving him the ability to read. 
> 
> Doctors of this time also didn’t use today’s modern medical practices, obviously. They believed that people got sick because they were sinners and have displeased god. Their forms of treatments were highly unhygienic and, quite frankly, dangerous. Specifically speaking about the Bubonic plague, they used the methods of boil-lancing (piercing the large, black, puss filled, boils), bloodletting (cutting a person’s flesh in attempts to bleed out a person’s “bad blood”), and leaching (similar to bloodletting, except that they didn’t cut themselves, instead they used live leaches to suck out their blood). 
> 
> Armin’s character is one who was naturally born with a perceptive and curious mind. He wants to learn. He wants to understand what lies beyond the walls, whether they are literal or figurative. I decided that the only way he could possibly be educated is if he was part of the clergy. In this time, travel was limited, but the Church still sent out missionaries to what they believed were savage lands. Specifically the Middle East. 
> 
> Before the plague, the Church organized the first few Crusades (the later ones weren’t actually sent by the Church). They believed the Church was entitled to the Holy Land that was currently being occupied by Muslims. They launched numerous wars against them. The Church rallied their armies by telling them that if they joined the crusades, they would be admitted to heaven. While this was a factor for people joining the war, most joined for promises of glory and riches. Many died on their way there, let alone in battle. The first Crusade actually managed to capture Jerusalem, but it didn’t stay in their grasp for long. The subsequent crusades were not considered successful for Europe, and most were a matter of pride and splendor.
> 
> After the Crusades, Europe traded with the Middle East and Asia more. This is what allowed the fateful Merchant ships to dock in modern-day Italy. These ships were called “the Death Ships”, because they are what brought the Plague to Europe. The sailors stumbled out of the ship, only a handful remaining. They looked like monsters because they were so deformed from their boils. The people of the city tried to get them to get back on their ships and leave, but it was too late. The Plague had arrived in Europe.
> 
> The Bubonic Plague was carried by fleas and rats that carried those fleas. It was airborne as well. Symptoms of the Plague started with a high fever, black boils (hence the name, the Black Death) forming on the body, especially around the lymph nodes and nether regions. People died in mere days of contracting the disease. Over half of Europe died from the Black Death. Every few years another outbreak would breakout, but they weren’t nearly as disastrous as the first. The Plague still exists today, and cases of it are still somewhat common, but it is treatable.
> 
> I’m hoping that you already know that homosexuality was, and still is, considered a sin to the Catholic Church. Homosexuals, like myself, were often murdered in the streets (THEY STILL ARE TODAY.). The slur “faggot” comes from the time where they burned witches at the stake. A “faggot” means a bundle of sticks. When they didn’t have enough wood, they would light homosexuals on fire and used them as tinder. This is also were the term “flamin’ homo” comes from. 
> 
> I’m probably boring you all with this, but I think you should know this in order to fully understand the story.


End file.
